Bracing device



May 16, 1933. J w HUDSQN 1,909,178

BRACING DEVICE Filed March 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FA A I Q I if 7 "E/Jk f 7 I J 3 J 2 z o v o 23 y 6. 1933. .1. w. HUDSON 1,909,178

BRACING DEVICE Filed March 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 26 4 m I 9% I II '51): I l /6 5 gwucm-ko'c J WWO? atto'zmu o.

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFJICE JOHNSTON- W. HUDSON, F HUMBOIYIDT, TENNESSEE Application filed March 5, 1981. ;Seria1 No. 520,883.

r This invention aims to rovide novel means for forcing apart two rames,'on opposite sides of the doors of a freight'car, in v order to hold crates or the like in the ends b of the car,-and to provide means for holding the frames spaced apart, to serve as a brace for the merchandise in the ends of the car.

A mechanic working within the scope of what is claimed, can make changes in the precise form of the invention shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan, Figure 2 is a transversesection, Figure 3is a transverse section at right angles to Figure 2, Figure 4 is a section on the line H of Figure 3 and Figure 5 is a fragmental horizontal section.

Two vertical frames F are provided and are arranged parallel to each other. The

frames F embody horizontal members 1 connected at their outer ends by vertical outer posts 2 which may be angle members, and it is to be understood that, without special mention, angle members may be used in making many of the parts hereinafter described. The

horizontal members of the frames F are connected by vertical inner posts3, and by vertical intermediate posts 4, located between the posts 2 and 3.

Upwardly prolonged extensions 5 are con nected by pivot elements 6 to the upper ends of the intermediate posts 4 and, when not in use, are adapted to be folded downwardly on the upper edge of the uppermost member 1,

in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 2.

The pivot elements 6 are located in the lateral flan es of the posts 4. In the inwardly exten ed flanges of the posts 4 and of the extensions'5 are disposed fastening devices 7,

such'as bolts, which hold the extensions 5 in the vertical position of Figure 2.

Each frame F has any desired number of inwardly projecting cross bars 8, and the inner ends of these cross bars are overlapped on each other, as shown in Figure 3. At their outer ends, the cross bars 8 are pivoted at 9 to the inwardly projecting flanges of the intermediate osts 4, so that the cross bars 5 can be folde upwardly when not in use.

When, howeverythe' cross bars 8 are in use, as shown in F lgure 3, they are horizontally disposed, and their outer ends abut against the lateral flanges of the posts 4, to hold the cross bars 8 in the position specified. Inwardly of the posts4, the vertical flanges of the cross bars 8 are provided with holes 10. Theliorizontal flanges of the crossbars 8 have openings 14 adapted to be-brought into registration to-rece'ive securing elements, such as bolts 15.

p The device comprises an expander, including a head 16 and a slide 17 overlapped upon the head, the head of the expander having I an upwardly extended wing 18. Theme'm 85 her 16 of the expander is provided with headedstuds'll holding the parts 16 and 17 of the expander together 'forright-line sliding movement, the studs 11 being received slid'abl'y in an elongated slot 12, formed in the slide 17 of the expander.

A lever 19 is fulcrumed at 20 nearjto it lower end, on the wing 18 "of the 'partrl6 of the expander. An' upper feed pawl '21 is pivoted to the lever 19. Aspring 22 is engaged 15 about the pivotal mountingof' the pawl 21' and with thelever 19and withthe pawl, to constrain the pawl to engage yieldably with a rack 23 formed in the upperedge of the slide 17 of theexpander. 1 ;A lowe'r back stop pawl 24-is pivoted to the wing 18 of the head 16 of th'e'expanderand .is caused to cooper ate with the rack 23, through the instrumentality of a pull spring 25 connected to the pawl 24 and to the part18 of the head 16 86 of the'e'xpander. 'At their outer ends, the parts 17 and'16 ofthe expander are provided with rigidly mounted horizontal projections 26, adapted to he engaged in the holes 10 of'the uppermost sets of cross bars 8.

In practical operation, the extensions 5 are turned up into a vertical position, on the pivotelements 6, and'areheld in place, in the position of Figure 2, by the bolts 7. The cross bars 8 of the oppositely disposed frames 96 F are turned down into the horizontal position of Figure 3, on the pivot elements 9, the connecting bolts 15 being taken out at this stalgle1 of the proceeding.

e projections 26 0i: the outerends of 100 the members 16 and 17 of the expander are inserted into the holes 10 of one of the uppermost set of cross bars 8, and thus, the expander is detachably secured in place as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. By working the lever 19 back and forth, the slide 17 is shoved to the left in Figure 3, and the head 16 of the expander is carried to the right in that figure, the pawl 21 cooperatin with the rack 23 to separate the frames F ant to crowd them closely against the merchandisc in the ends of the car, the back stop pawl 24 cooperating with the rack 23 to hold the frames F against movin inwardly toward each other. When the desired separation of the frames F has been attained, the bolt 15 is placed in the registering holes 14 of the cross bars 8, and thus the frames F are held rigidly in properly separated bracing position with respect to the merchandise which is to be held in the ends of the car. The expander may be shifted to the left, from the position of Figure 1 to the upper left hand set of cross bars 8 in thatfigure, and the operation is repeated. Of course, there is nothing to prevent the use of two expanders, if desired, so that both of the uppermost pairs of cross bars 8 in Figurel can be slid outwardly with respect to each other at the same time.

The device is simple in construction and is well adapted to withstand the hard use to which structures of the kind under consideration are subjected. It will be found thoroughly effective as a bracing means for merchandise in the ends of a car. When the merchandise is properly braced and ready for shipment, the expander 1617 is taken ofi. It does not form a permanent part of the bracing structure.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A device for holding merchandise in the ends of a car, comprising spaced vertical frames, pairs of inwardly projecting cross bars having their inner ends overlapped, detachable means for joining the inner ends of the bars of the pairs together for relative longitudinal adjustment, means for ivoting the outer ends of the bars of each pair to the the ends of a car, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by the fact that the interengaging elements of the bars of said pair are duplicated on the bars of the other pairs, to permit the slide and ture.

JOHNSTON W. HUDSON.

respective frames to enable the bars to be swung toward parallellism with the frames when not in use, a slide having arack, a head overlapped on the slide, means for connecting the head and the slide for relative longitudinal movement, a pawl carried by the head and engaging the rack to hold the frames spaced, and interengaged elements holdin the slide upon one cross bar of one pair and the head upon the other cross bar of the same pair, detachably, to permit the slide and the head to be taken ed, and to permit thedbars of said pair to be swung as aforesai 2. A device for holding merchandise in 

